How November Elections And A Court Ruling Will Impact Legal New York Sports Betting

Tuesday’s election results and a recent New York State Supreme Court ruling are both likely to impact the ability of state residents to soon enter a full-fledged, regulated sports wagering market, according to a New York legislator and a prominent local gaming attorney.

New Yorkers have a “better than 50 percent chance” to be able to legally bet on sports in 2019, Democratic Assemblyman Member J. Gary Pretlow (89th District), told Sports Handle this week, despite the recent court decision that ruled part of the legislation legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) was unconstitutional and would require voter approval in a statewide referendum.

Pretlow is the state lawmaker sponsoring a bill to legalize sports betting in the Empire State, and plans to bring it up again in the state’s next legislative session in January.

It’s information overload everywhere, and there’s not time enough to sleep and eat and stay fully apprised of what’s happening on this crazy blue dot of ours (two out of three ain’t bad).

Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories, and rounding up key stories in sports betting, gaming, and the world of sports at large. You may have missed them, and they are worth reading.

12 Billion Reasons There Is So Much Hype Around Pennsylvania Sports Betting; Launch Pad Readies at Hollywood Penn

The Hollywood Casino in Pennsylvania will make history on Saturday when it fully opens the first legal sportsbook in PA to the public. More than a year after legalizing sports betting, Pennsylvanians will finally be able to legally place a bet — and the state will begin to reap expected financial gains from sports betting. They already have, actually, in the form of $10 million application fee apiece from the six properties so far to apply for a sports wagering license.

Of the eight states that have legalized sports betting, Pennsylvania is the only that that has just about two of everything — NFL teams, MLB teams and NHL teams. The only pro sport with only one Pennsylvania franchise is the NBA.

Now, a key lawmaker in Michigan sponsoring a bill that would legalize sports betting and iGaming in the state could give a win to the leagues.

According to a report from Reuters, following a U.S. Sports Betting Policy Summit in Washington D.C. this week, Michigan state representative Brandt Iden (R-District 61) changed his mind on the fees after “spending significant time with the leagues.”

The over/under has even moved to 64 in some spots, and it’s entirely possible it’ll move higher as hype builds and folks continue to take the over regardless of where sportsbooks set it.

For what it’s worth, it’s hard to imagine this game won’t contain at least 30 points per side. After all, the Chiefs and Rams are averaging a combined 68.8 points per game this season. Eight of Kansas City’s 10 games have contained at least 50 points, while four of L.A.’s 10 outings have contained at least 64.

Also for what it’s worth, Pro Football Reference’s super-awesome database indicates that all five games this century with totals north of 58 have gone over.

My primary note on this one? The Rams defense has been particularly vulnerable against strong NFC foes this season. In five matchups with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, they’ve surrendered an average of 33.0 points per game. Considering that this game is now back in Los Angeles and the Rams have scored at least 29 points in every home game they’ve played this year, it’s easy to wonder if a 63.5-point total is actually a little low for this one.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL since 2007 and is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America, despite the fact he actually lives in Canada. The Toronto-based sports journalist’s work can also be seen at Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Awful Announcing and The Guardian. He can be found on Twitter @brad_gagnon

Sports Handle is pleased to present Cover City: A Pro Football Betting Podcast, hosted by Eric Rosenthal (@ericcports). Rosenthal is a professional sports bettor who focuses on NFL and college football. He’s wagered more than $25 million in the last nine years, getting banned from many sportsbooks along the way.

There’s six teams

Sports Handle is pleased to present Cover City: A Pro Football Betting Podcast, hosted by Eric Rosenthal (@ericcports). Rosenthal is a professional sports bettor who focuses on NFL and college football. He’s wagered more than $25 million in the last nine years, getting banned from many sportsbooks along the way.

There’s six teams on a bye and it’s not an easy card this week. Sometimes, less is more. The defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles are 9-point underdogs on the road at New Orleans and the line may grow. Eric makes the case for Tennessee Titans against the Indianapolis Colts, while Christian calls out all the fraudulent teams. And of course, the guys spend some time on the Chiefs-Rams Monday Night Football tilt which is expected to be a fireworks show with an NFL record 63-point total.

29:30 — PropSwap.com Futures Focus. More than just a futures marketplace, check out PropSwap for favorable real-time betting opportunities and get 10% off your first purchase by visiting PropSwap.com/Handle.

35:15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1.5 at New York Giants

38:35 — Denver Broncos +7 at Los Angeles Chargers

40:00 — Oakland Raiders +5.5 at Arizona Cardinals

42:00 — Pittsburgh Steelers -5.5 at Jacksonville Jaguars

43:40 — Kansas City Chiefs +3.5 at Los Angeles Rams

52:15 — Final thoughts: Less is more this week! And Eric’s SuperContest picks.

Also check out this week’s ‘Pro Football Handle’ podcast!

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The good news for the New Jersey sportsbooks in the newly released revenue report for October is a large jump in handle from $186 million in September to $261 in October. The downside is that the bettors took a bigger bite of the books this month than usual, cutting revenue by more than half

The good news for the New Jersey sportsbooks in the newly released revenue report for October is a large jump in handle from $186 million in September to $261 in October. The downside is that the bettors took a bigger bite of the books this month than usual, cutting revenue by more than half month-over-month from $24 million in September to “just” $11.7 million in October.

Overall that spells a 4.4 percent hold, down from 13 percent in Sept., which may be partly attributable to baseball (more on this below) and perhaps moreso a lot of “public” teams covering the spread in October NFL contests. The rise in betting handle is almost entirely attributable to the mobile/one sector, which grew from $105 million in September to $174 million in October. On-site sports betting inched up from $79 million in the prior month to $86 million.

Resorts Digital continues to lead the way by a lap on the revenue front, reporting $5.1 million in October, which is nearly half of the entire haul across all sportsbooks for the month. An arm of Resorts Casino, Resorts Digital figures represent DraftKings Sportsbook as well as BetStarsNJ.com. We can no longer parse out which side is driving what, but based on prior figures we can safely say that DraftKings is responsible for the lion’s as well as the cub’s share. Let’s dig in a litter deeper now.

October Brick-and-Mortar Sportsbook Revenue:

Bally’s: $303K

Borgata: $120K

Golden Nugget: $46K

Harrah’s: $104K

Meadowlands (FanDuel Sportsbook): $1.1 million

Monmouth Park: $606K

Ocean Resort: $438K

Resorts: $97K

Tropicana: $15K

A spokesperson for FanDuel Sportsboook said: “Demand for the FanDuel Sportsbook continues to outpace our expectations with online handle 2.5 times higher than September and continued double digit growth in retail handle. It was an exciting month for bettors who won at a high rate on football and benefitted from our industry-leading pricing and odds boosts.”

October Online Sportsbook Revenue:

Bally’s (combination of CaesarsCasino & 888sport): $108K

Borgata (PlayMGM): $67K

FanDuel Sportsbook (Meadowlands): $2.43 million

Golden Nugget (PlaySugarHouse): $151K

Monmouth Park (William Hill and PlaySugarHouse): $609K

Ocean Resort (William Hill): $385K

Resorts Digital (combination of DK Sportsbook and BetStarsNJ.com): $5.1 million

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board received its sixth application for a sports betting license when the Valley Forge Casino Resort filed paperwork on Wednesday. Owned by Boyd Gaming, the sportsbook will be run by FanDuel, which also partnered with Boyd Gaming for “sports betting and online gaming opportunities across the United States,” in August.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board received its sixth application for a sports betting license when the Valley Forge Casino Resort filed paperwork on Wednesday. Owned by Boyd Gaming, the sportsbook will be run by FanDuel, which also partnered with Boyd Gaming for “sports betting and online gaming opportunities across the United States,” in August. FanDuel also runs the sportsbooks at two Boyd Gaming facilities in Mississippi, the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, and Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Tunica.

The PGCB says there is no set timetable for approving the application. The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Nov. 28, which likely is too soon for the application to be considered. It’s more likely to be on the agenda for one of the December meeting dates.

Five casinos have already been approved for sports betting licenses in Pennsylvania, and in each of those cases, it took a minimum of 5 1/2 weeks between the date of application and board approval. None of the casinos have opened sportsbooks to date.

Seattle's season has been pretty straightforward: against good teams, they lose, and against bad teams (at or below 50% wins) the win. They've put together some impressive games against the Rams, losing by only one score and putting up 31 points in each contest. Each of their losses have been by 1 score, so they've

Seattle’s season has been pretty straightforward: against good teams, they lose, and against bad teams (at or below 50% wins) the win. They’ve put together some impressive games against the Rams, losing by only one score and putting up 31 points in each contest. Each of their losses have been by 1 score, so they’ve never really been out of the games they play. Their 4 wins have come against the Cowboys, Cardinals, Raiders and Lions- all with losing records. They are 3-3 on the road, and 1-2 at home.

The Packers sit in a similar position. 3 of their 4 losses have come agains the Patriots, Redskins and Rams- all teams that lead their divisions. What separates them from Seattle, is the fact that they are 0-4 on the road, and 4-0-1 at home. Tonight’s matchup in Seattle doesn’t bode well for Green Bay if this season’s trend is any sort of indicator.

Another interesting thing to note is that since 2012 (the Fail Mary game), every matchup between Seattle and Green Bay has resulted in the home team winning (playoffs included).

Seahawks vs. Packers Props

Martin is a data analyst that has been applauded for his ability to make the complex simple. He grew up on a farm in northern Vermont and spent his summers helping his mom lead llama treks at Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

Martin graduated from University of Vermont with a degree in Mathematics. After graduation he left Vermont to work for an educational nonprofit called City Year for two years, and followed that up by attending the data science immersive program at Galvanize in Denver. He is an avid Green Bay Packer fan, and spends his free time playing football and soccer.

Week 12 College Football Picks, Preview: West Virginia in a Great Spot on the Road and Syracuse Catching Points Against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium

Memphis/SMU OVER 72.5 (Friday)

I grew up rooting for the old Pony Express so I’m a closet SMU fan. I know the team well and the Ponies have had little success against Memphis in recent years. In their last four games against SMU, Memphis has scored 48, 63, 51 and 66 points. The Tigers won last year’s meeting 66-45 and we should see another game that approaches 100 points.

SMU’s offense is finally starting to click under new coach Sonny Dykes. The Mustangs have scored 107 points in their last two games with wins over Houston and UConn. Memphis has scored 106 points in its last two games with victories over East Carolina and Tulsa.

While the Mustangs’ offense is rolling, their defense continues to struggle. SMU is allowing 242 rushing yards per game in conference play and now must face Memphis running back Darrell Henderson who is averaging 9.2 yards per carry on the season.

SMU ranks 115th in scoring defense allowing 36.8 points per game, while Memphis ranks 86th giving up 30.5 per contest. Both teams will put up points with ease Friday night in what could be the highest-scoring game of the college football season.

On The Pro Football Handle, brought to you by PropSwap.com, Las Vegas-based sports talk voice Matt Perrault and veteran bookmaker Robert Walker of USBookmaking dive into select NFL games, line movements and bookmaker liabilities, plus greater sports betting topics and stories that may have nothing to do with football. Walker has seen it all behind the counter and

On The Pro Football Handle, brought to you by PropSwap.com, Las Vegas-based sports talk voice Matt Perrault and veteran bookmaker Robert Walker of USBookmaking dive into select NFL games, line movements and bookmaker liabilities, plus greater sports betting topics and stories that may have nothing to do with football. Walker has seen it all behind the counter and Perrault the same from behind the microphone, so they’ll have you prepared for anything.

Week 11 is here and what a week it is. There are some truly bad games like Bucs vs. Giants, but there’s also a possible Super Bowl preview with Chiefs vs. Rams and the highest regular season total ever. The Steelers are also officially Le’Veon Bell-less (and may be better of for it) and the Bears defense is looking fierce.

1:40 — From Mexico City to LA — what does a venue change mean for bettors on the Week 11 marquee matchup?

10:31 —PropSwap.com Futures Focus — More than just a futures marketplace, check out PropSwap for favorable real-time betting opportunities and get 10% off your first purchase by visiting PropSwap.com/Handle.

15:41 — Green Bay Packers +3 at Seattle Seahawks — Perrault doesn’t usually play Thursday night games, but he just may need to get some action on this week’s match up.

19:09 — Dallas Cowboys +3 at Atlanta Falcons — After the ‘boys primetime win in Week 10, will the public fall back in love with America’s Team this week?

26:06 — Carolina Panthers -4 at Detroit Lions — Could this be ugliest game of the week? No one wants to take a chance on Detroit.

28:27 — Cincinnati Bengals +4.5 at Baltimore Ravens — This game’s off the board in most spots. Does anyone even care? .

35:49 — Tennessee Titans +2 at Indianapolis Colts — Only one way to bet this game: take the dog.

39:11 — Houston Texans -3 at Washington Redskins — Will this be the worst game ever between two 6-3 teams?

43:15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1.5 at N.Y. Giants — This is a hard game to handicap. They may have to book it, but you don’t have to play it.

45:35 — Oakland Raiders +5.5 at Arizona Cardinals –– Oakland looks like they are playing for lottery picks.

48:21– Pittsburgh Steelers -5.5 at Jacksonville Jaguars — Where is the Jaguars of the beginning of season? Another contrarian option

50:11 — Minnesota Vikings +2.5 at Chicago Bears — The Vikings should be taken seriously in the NFC, but the Bears defense is scary good.

52:51 — Kansas City +3.5 at L.A. Rams — Hyper emotional game for L.A., but KC is the right pick. And with the highest regular season game total ever at 63.5 (and rising), the under could be a smart play.

Have a profitable Week 10, folks. Thanks for listening and see you back next week, tell a friend, sign up for our newsletter and also check out the Cover City Podcast, featuring sports bettor Eric Rosenthal.

We're starting to pick games with some swagger now. Being well in the black is nice, so let's keep the good times rolling. The lines are set pretty well this week, which makes our jobs a little tougher. There aren't a ton of spreads to like, but we picked out the three you

We’re starting to pick games with some swagger now. Being well in the black is nice, so let’s keep the good times rolling. The lines are set pretty well this week, which makes our jobs a little tougher. There aren’t a ton of spreads to like, but we picked out the three you should be able to bank on the most. As far as over/unders, we have one over and one under for you.

Panthers -4.5 at Lions (-110)

Carolina has never burned us before, right? Just kidding, we took them +4 against the Steelers in a game they lost 52-21 last week. That was the only pick we got wrong in Week 10. Even though they’re on the road, there’s plenty of reason to believe they’re a prime bounceback candidate, just like another team we’ll talk about in a minute.

The Panthers have everything to play for with an NFC Wild Card berth well within their grasp. Detroit, meanwhile, has spiraled into free fall and it seems like head coach Matt Patricia may already have lost that locker room. They waved the white flag the moment they traded Golden Tate and there’s no reason to believe they should be competitive. Detroit is 3-6, but two of those wins have come against the Patriots and Packers, so who knows, but the percentages tell us Carolina wins this game handily. The bet: $4 for total payout of $7.60.

Falcons -3 vs. Cowboys (-120)

This is our biggest lock of the week. Atlanta is another prime bounceback candidate after randomly getting blown out by the Browns last week. They’re in desperation mode and at home. Yes, the Cowboys’ defense presents some issues for the offense, but Dak Prescott simply isn’t going to outgun Matt Ryan on his home field. It’s not happening.

If the Falcons hope to have any prayer of sneaking into the playoffs, they basically need to win every single one from here on out. Unless Dallas comes out with a crazy effort like they did against the Jaguars several weeks ago, it just doesn’t seem plausible for them to grab this road win. If you’re going to bank on any one of these picks this week, make it this one. The bet: $8 for total payout of $14.66.

Broncos +7.5 at Chargers (-120)

Even as I’m typing this, I don’t feel great about this pick, but the Broncos are a competent enough team to cover a multiple-score spread. Of course, that’s what this is. If Denver loses by a touchdown, they cover. The Chargers have been great this season and have flown under the radar, but they generally don’t score points in bunches.

Expect the Broncos to hang around at least for a bit and then we can hope they keep the game within a touchdown. It might be wishful thinking, but it’s our best bet amongst a group of other less promising spreads this week. The bet: $2 for total payout of $3.67.

Packers-Seahawks OVER 49.5 (-110)

This is a matchup of desperate teams. The Packers are 4-4-1, the Seahawks 4-5. The loser will start to slip out of the playoff picture entirely. Since the game is in Seattle, expect that to level the playing field a bit. These aren’t your older brother’s Seahawks, whose defense struck fear into their opponents. Green Bay’s defense, especially without Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the secondary is vulnerable as well.

When betting over/unders, you essentially need to guess what the game flow is going to be. This certainly seems like it will be a close game that is relatively high scoring. A 30-20 final score would get us our over and that seems perfectly reasonable for how we expect this game to go. It’s not our most confident pick, but it’s a pretty decent bet. The bet: $2 for total payout of $3.80.

Titans-Colts UNDER 49 (-110)

This one is dangerous with the Colts’ offense able to go off at any time, but hey, if the Titans can hold the Patriots defense at bay, they can do the same with the Colts. It’s actually looking more and more like Tennessee has a legit defense, capable of shutting an opponent down. Their offense, while it looked its best all season against New England, is still a work in progress.

All that adds up to a relatively low scoring game, one that keeps us under that 49-point mark. Would anyone be surprised if this game ended 20-17 or somewhere right around there? This over/under seems set really high, so jump on the under in anticipation of a low-scoring game. The bet: $4 for total payout of $7.60.

As always, our pipe dream of 5-0 is on the table. We’ve had two 4-1 weeks in our last four, so we’re getting closer. If we nailed all these picks, our parlay payout would be $467.49. We’re going to ride our current hot streak and hope we can get a clean sweep for you this week. Best of luck in Week 11 and we will debrief after the weekend’s action is over.

Jacob Kornhauser is a sports reporter in Southern Oregon covering all sports, including Oregon and Oregon State athletics. He has been a national baseball writer for Bleacher Report and Rant Sports and has written two baseball books. He also specializes in sports betting analysis. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri Journalism School.

Every week, Sports Handle will look at NFL lines, specifically “lookahead lines,” to see how they’re moving and why. Lookahead lines are those posted one week prior to a game or even before the season has begun, as CG Technology does.

By comparing changes between current lines and the numbers hung days earlier,

Every week, Sports Handle will look at NFL lines, specifically “lookahead lines,” to see how they’re moving and why. Lookahead lines are those posted one week prior to a game or even before the season has begun, as CG Technology does.

By comparing changes between current lines and the numbers hung days earlier, we can get a sense of where recency bias or overreactions are seeping in.

We’ll highlight the significant shifts, look for value and suggest when it’s a good idea to get behind or stay away from certain teams. Here’s a look at the Week NFL 11 line moves and what it means to bettors. (Note: odds indicated based on current numbers at several Las Vegas sportsbooks.)

Carolina Panthers (-4 or -3.5) at Detroit lions

It’s not often a team gets blown out on national television 52-21 and the line moves in their favor, but that’s what we have in this matchup. Last week the Panthers were -3 at the SuperBook and -1.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Even after getting drilled by the Steelers, the line moved to Carolina -4.

That’s because the Lions are arguably the second worst team in the NFL right now. Detroit is 0-3 both SU and ATS in its last three games, losing by 14, 15 and 12 points over that span. Carolina didn’t show up last Thursday night in Pittsburgh but prior to that loss the Panthers were riding a three-game winning streak SU and ATS.

While the Lions look like they’ve waived the white flag on the season, it should be noted that the Panthers aren’t the same team away from home. Carolina is 1-3 SU and ATS on the road this season with its lone win being a come-from-behind victory over the Eagles. Meanwhile, the Lions are 2-2 SU and ATS at home with wins over the Patriots and Packers.

There seems to be some value here with the Lions. The problem is Detroit has looked lifeless in its last three games, so it may not matter.

Empire Resorts, Inc., now an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited (bet365) and Resorts World Catskills today revealed a “strategic alliance” to join the rapidly expanding sports wagering business space in the U.S. by creating a physical and online sportsbook in New York State.

Sports wagering is not now legal in New York, however,

Empire Resorts, Inc., now an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited (bet365) and Resorts World Catskills today revealed a “strategic alliance” to join the rapidly expanding sports wagering business space in the U.S. by creating a physical and online sportsbook in New York State.

Sports wagering is not now legal in New York, however, rules and accompanying regulations are expected to come under close examination by New York State lawmakers in 2019, Democratic State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (89th District) told Sports Handle in an interview last week. Pretlow is the state lawmaker sponsoring enabling legislation that would legalize full-fledged sports betting in the state.

Resorts World Catskills in Kiamesha Lake, on the site of the former Concord Hotel, a “Borscht Belt” landmark, is New York’s newest and largest integrated commercial casino resort destination with closest proximity to Manhattan. Empire, as a bet365 affiliate company, is part of the world’s largest online sports bookmaker. The parties said in a media release that their deal 20-year agreement would become effective when permitted by applicable law.

We finished the weekend 9-5-1 this past week. We're also on a 24-11 CFB run the last 5 weeks and we're 40-21-1 with our last 62 NFL plays overall. We have a 7-Unit CFB Main Event Game of the Month on Saturday and 6- and 5-unit NFL plays going on Sunday! We enter on a

We finished the weekend 9-5-1 this past week. We’re also on a 24-11 CFB run the last 5 weeks and we’re 40-21-1 with our last 62 NFL plays overall. We have a 7-Unit CFB Main Event Game of the Month on Saturday and 6- and 5-unit NFL plays going on Sunday! We enter on a 12-1-1 CFB/NFL top plays run. Be sure to grab it all this week!

You can get a free $60 account and get Scott’s top College and NFL picks this week at docsports.com

FALCONS 16-28 BROWNS: ATL had 73 plays to Cleveland’s 50…but Browns averaged 8.5 yards per play…thanks in part to the 90+ yard run by Nick Chubb 20-176-TD. Mayfield’s best game as a pro 17-20-216-3-0. 9 different players with a catch – and the most by any player was 4. Jones, Hooper, Sanu 23 rec between the 3 of them…another big statistical day for Matt Ryan 38-52-330-2-0.

Rosen 22-39-208-1-2. David Johnson 21 carries 98 yards RD…85 rec yards, TD. AGAIN – YOU CAN RUN on the Chiefs. AZ is the only team without 100 yards rushing on the season…but if Johnson gets 1 more carry. AZ has failed to top 18 points in 8 of 9 games.

PATRIOTS 10-34 TITANS: Tennessee sacked Brady 3 times and put constant pressure on him. Brady 21-41-254 (Brady with just 1 TD pass last 3 games). Edelman 9 rec 104 yards. Gordon 4 rec 81 yards. Mariota 16-24-228-2-0 (3rd game with 2 or more TD passes…team is 3-0). Henry & Lewis 31 combined carries 115 yards 2 TDs. Davis 7 rec 125 yards TD. Pats failed to reach the red-zone in the 2nd half…0 points final 9 possessions. Worst loss since a 41-14 loss to KC in Sept 2014. The next week NE was +1 vs. Cincy and won 43-17…the 1st of a 7 game win streak…and won the SBOWL that season. 7-3 worst NE start in 5 years…lost in the conf championship to Denver that season. Tenn 13-3 last 16 home games. Out-rushed NE 150-40. Mike Vrabel knew to rush Brady up the middle and take away the middle. Tenny put a ton into this one win…@ Colts next week.

CHARGERS 20-6 RAIDERS: Big LAC TD pass with :20 left in the half to go up 10-3. Early 3rd…Melvin Gordon 66 yard TD pass and catch…screen…Raiders missed tackled inside the first 10 yards (Gordon 5 straight games with 120 or more scrimmage yards…first Charger since LT). Derek Carr 4th & 5 inside Charger 20 with 4 min to go…throws a pass in the turf to avoid a sack…4th down…Carr is all messed up between the ears at this point…making mental mistakes galore. Rivers only QB with 2 or more TD passes in every game this season. LAC 6 game winning streak. Held 5 straight opp’s to fewer than 20 points. Raiders 10 ppg during 5 game skid.

SKINS 16-3 BUCCS: Story of the game: Buccs 501 yards on 7.5 yards per play, but scored just 3 points (1st team in NFL history to score 3 points or fewer with 500 yards of offense). Held Skins to 286 yards. Alex Smith 19-27-178-1. A. Peterson 19 carries 68 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick 29-41-406-0-2. Godwin & Rodgers 15 combined rec 205 yards. Buccs were 0-5 in the red zone. Skins 6-0 when rush for 100 or more yards. Held 6 opp’s to fewer than 18 points. Buccs -19 turnover margin this season…worst in the NFL. Buccs 7 straight games with -2 or more turnover margin…2nd longest in NFL history.

NY GIANTS 27-23 SAN FRANCISCO: Total combined yards played out like an Under…but the game went Over on the final TD. Eli 19-31-188-3-0. Nick Mullens 27-39-250-1-2 INTs. Giants had film on Mullens, which wasn’t the case the previous week. NYG offensive line finally protected Manning for the most part…and the team ran for 4 yards per carry.

Scott Spreitzer has spent 25+ years in the world of sports betting and he’s been one of the few bettors/handicappers to be accepted and sought after on several national radio shows as the key go-to analyst with a Vegas perspective. Scott dominates the ESPN national airwaves during football season. He’s the featured bettor/handicapper on the Dari and Mel show, appearing every football Saturday for the past four years with Dari Nowkhah and Mel Kiper, Jr., a show heard on over 300 ESPN affiliates. Scott doubles back every Sunday morning on ESPN National’s NFL Sunday Countdown with Kevin Winter (4 years running). And he kicked off this past football season each and every Friday as the regular betting expert on the Mike Golic, Jr., show. Scott’s even had his Vegas-centric information repeated on college football live game broadcasts by the likes of Kirk Herbstreit. If you tune into ESPN national on football weekends, you’re bound to hear Scott.

For the second time this week, DraftKings has announced the forthcoming opening of a physical sportsbook — this time where the post-PASPA U.S. sports betting expansion started, in New Jersey*.

“Construction is near completion on the DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts, slated to open by late November 2018,” pending approval from the state’s

For the second time this week, DraftKings has announced the forthcoming opening of a physical sportsbook — this time where the post-PASPA U.S. sports betting expansion started, in New Jersey*.

“Construction is near completion on the DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts, slated to open by late November 2018,” pending approval from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Associated Press reports a more specific date — Tuesday, Nov. 20. According to the AP, the sportsbook will be situated in an area where patrons can access it via an entrance off the Atlantic City boardwalk.

But wait, didn’t Resorts already open a sportsbook over the summer, branded Resorts, in conjunction with SB Tech? Indeed it did, but apparently there’s room for more than one operation to co-exist under the same roof, same as the digital arms for each property, which can implement up to three “skins” online.

This NFL season, with sports betting expected to be a more common and accepted practice, we're making a point to look beyond point spreads and analyze often-neglected totals. As part of that approach, we're offering up our favorite bet over and favorite under each week.

Over and Under Best Bets

Over of

This NFL season, with sports betting expected to be a more common and accepted practice, we’re making a point to look beyond point spreads and analyze often-neglected totals. As part of that approach, we’re offering up our favorite bet over and favorite under each week.

Over and Under Best Bets

Over of the week: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions

Total: 51

The main rationale behind this over is that I don’t believe the desperate Detroit Lions will go down without a fight in a must-win home game, while the Carolina Panthers are likely to bounce back on extra rest after a poor performance in Pittsburgh.

Basically, Detroit and Carolina are due for strong performances, and this should be a close game between two teams with star quarterbacks.

The Lions scored 26 points against the New England Patriots at home and then put up 31 on the Green Bay Packers two weeks later. They have it in them, but they’ve also given up at least 24 points in three consecutive games.

The Panthers defense has surrendered 28-plus points in back-to-back weeks, while the offense has averaged 33 points per game the last three weeks.

Don’t be surprised if both teams hit the 30-mark Sunday at Ford Field.

Predicted score: Panthers 35, Lions 30

Under of the week: Houston Texans at Washington Redskins

Total: 42.5

I was shocked to see Houston and Washington generating a total above 40. Four of Houston’s last five games have contained 36 or fewer points, while four of Washington’s last five games have contained 40 or fewer points. Why should we expect them to combine for more than that Sunday in Washington?

Both defenses rank in the top seven in terms of points allowed per game. And while the Houston offense has shown some signs of life, this’ll be a challenge on the road. Meanwhile, the Redskins’ offensive line is in shambles, which is why they’ve scored just 30 total points the last two weeks against awful defenses (Atlanta and Tampa Bay).

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL since 2007 and is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America, despite the fact he actually lives in Canada. The Toronto-based sports journalist’s work can also be seen at Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Awful Announcing and The Guardian. He can be found on Twitter @brad_gagnon

Rhode Island lawmakers were counting on an immediate windfall of revenue from sports betting when they legalized sports wagering in June. But five months later, neither of the state’s two commercial casinos have opened their sportsbooks, and the projected opening date of Oct. 1 has come and gone.

Why? Testing of software is

Rhode Island lawmakers were counting on an immediate windfall of revenue from sports betting when they legalized sports wagering in June. But five months later, neither of the state’s two commercial casinos have opened their sportsbooks, and the projected opening date of Oct. 1 has come and gone.

Why? Testing of software is still ongoing, and negotiations between the state’s two casinos and William Hill and IGT, who will operate the sportsbooks, is taking longer than expected, according to Rhode Island Department of Revenue chief of information and public relations Paul Grimaldi.

“Our expectation is for sports betting to begin around Thanksgiving. I cannot give you a specific date today as it is dependent on the completion of testing of the IGT/William Hill sports betting software,” Grimaldi told Sports Handle in an e-mail Tuesday. “They released the software to the Division of Lottery on Nov. 5 We expect two weeks +/- for completion of the testing. The sportsbook will start taking bets once the software is certified.”

Andy Iskoe of the Logical Approach, a handicapping and sports research service, has analyzed such injury information and contextualized it as long as he’s been in the business. The longtime Las Vegas professional handicapper, podcaster and featured columnist for numerous sports betting publications including Gaming Today, examined this topic for Sports Handle recently.

Iskoe says experienced handicappers and bookmakers sometimes assign a point value to each position if a starter is injured, but that in the pro game, as one would expect, most adjustment in terms of the point spread revolve around the quarterback.

Tua Tagovailoa's odds decreased, but he's still the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy

Note: The change column indicates the percentage change in the odds of each player. Positive change labeled in green means the player is getting bet and his odds are lower, while the negative change in red

Tua Tagovailoa’s odds decreased, but he’s still the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy

Note: The change column indicates the percentage change in the odds of each player. Positive change labeled in green means the player is getting bet and his odds are lower, while the negative change in red means the player’s odds have regressed.

Heisman Trophy Winner Props

Martin is a data analyst that has been applauded for his ability to make the complex simple. He grew up on a farm in northern Vermont and spent his summers helping his mom lead llama treks at Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

Martin graduated from University of Vermont with a degree in Mathematics. After graduation he left Vermont to work for an educational nonprofit called City Year for two years, and followed that up by attending the data science immersive program at Galvanize in Denver. He is an avid Green Bay Packer fan, and spends his free time playing football and soccer.

Time for another installment in Sports Handle’s ongoing series on The Best Best Gambling And Sports Betting Scenes. There’s a lot of high-quality movies centered on gambling, including on horse racing and poker ‘Let It Ride’ and ‘Rounders’). All quality gambling scenes, whether strictly sports betting or not, the focus of the film or

Time for another installment in Sports Handle’s ongoing series on The Best Best Gambling And Sports Betting Scenes. There’s a lot of high-quality movies centered on gambling, including on horse racing and poker ‘Let It Ride’ and ‘Rounders’). All quality gambling scenes, whether strictly sports betting or not, the focus of the film or a short aside, will be included/considered.

The very underrated, under-appreciated 1998 comedy “Dirty Work” stars Norm MacDonald (as Mitch) and Artie Lange (Sam) as co-founders of a “Revenge For Hire” business, in order to pay for a heart surgery for Sam’s father, Pops.

Directed by Bob Saget, the movie also has guest appearances by Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Don Rickles and of course, Chevy Chase, who plays the heart surgeon and gambling addict Dr. Farthing, who will bump up Pop’s place on the heart transplant list in exchange for $50,000 — to pay back his bookie.

Chase delivers his classic deadpan humor in each of his scenes, including in this doctor’s office exchange when Dr. Farthing reveals just how terrible he is at betting sports:

A Washington Post poll conducted in Sept. 2017 showed that 55% of respondents approved of legalizing sports betting with only 33% disapproving — the highest level of support ever record by the Roper Center public opinion archive.

A Washington Post poll conducted in Sept. 2017 showed that 55% of respondents approved of legalizing sports betting with only 33% disapproving — the highest level of support ever record by the Roper Center public opinion archive.

Now a brand new Post poll surveying Maryland registered voters found numbers in line with the national figures — 53 percent are in favor of legal sports wagering on professional sports, against 37 percent opposed (10 percent had no opinion).

Unfortunately for those Marylanders approving and also desiring to make legal sports bets, they’ll probably be waiting more than two years to do so within Maryland borders.

The Maryland state constitution requires that any gambling expansion must go to the voters via ballot referendum. In March, the House of Delegates passed a bill 124-14 that would have put the matter on the Nov. 6 ballot, however the bill failed to make it out of committee in the Senate before the legislative session ended.

As proponents at the time advised, now the next opportunity to get it on the ballot won’t come until Nov. 2020, unless lawmakers have the motivation and find a way to bypass the state constitution. Unlikely.